Never Quit

Navy seal shares a life built on successful missions.

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (Jan. 29, 2016) — Former Navy SEAL Rob O’Neill was greeted with applause as he took the stage at the second general session of the 2016 Cattle Industry Convention Jan. 29 in San Diego, Calif. O’Neill, who has been active in more than 400 combat missions around the globe and was part of the SEAL team that killed Osama bin Laden, opened his remarks saying, “I hate al-Qaeda. I hate ISIS. I love beef.”

O’Neill shared several stories from his grueling SEAL training and his life-and-death experiences from his combat missions. He noted that lessons learned in combat can be applied to strategies for achieving success in daily life. Among his advice to the audience:

Hone your people skills. SEALs are trained and work in teams that rely on one another in high-stress situations, O’Neill shared. “We learned people work harder if appreciated. … No one wants to work for a jerk.”

Recognize planning vs. being over-prepared. O’Neill pointed out there is no such thing as a perfect plan, and often people over-plan for things that will never happen.
“Life is what happens around you while you are making the perfect plan,” he said. He encouraged planning and preparation, but advised having the ability to adapt and adjust to survive and be successful.

Learn how to take emotion out of professional decision-making process. O’Neill shared how in stressful situations most people react emotionally. He advised, “Often your initial reaction [to something] is the wrong reaction. Take a second to make an informed decision. I tell my guys [the SEALs] ‘Don’t react. Do respond.’"

Never quit. O’Neill noted that combat – and life – can be grueling. But to that he said. “Remind yourself you are not having a bad life, you are having a bad day. Never quit, it will get better.”

Watch a documentary with O’Neill sharing his experiences in his own words at www.robertjoneill.com. O’Neill also asked audience members to visit YourGratefulNation.org to learn more about efforts to assist veterans after active duty. Of the organization, O’Neill concluded, “It’s all part of making America great again.”

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